Knight: Becoming King of the World

Ratifa’s confidence was not arrogance. Years of navigating the battlefields of commerce had honed her eyes to a razor’s edge, allowing her to perceive the subtlest differences in value.

Henry smiled and shook his head, wagging a single finger.

Ratifa’s brow twitched. She trusted her own judgment, but Henry’s smile and shake of the head gave her a slight jolt. ’Could my estimate still be too low?’

Henry said softly, "Countess Ratifa, your estimate is quite considerable, but I’m afraid you’ve still underestimated the scale of my spoils."

Ratifa raised her fine eyebrows, a flicker of curiosity stirring within her.

She could guess at Henry’s valor on the battlefield, but she never imagined that the spoils of a single nobleman could exceed five hundred thousand Dinars.

’Or is it that Henry’s army is exceptionally powerful?’ Ratifa pursed her lips. Her previous encounter with Henry had left a deep impression.

Afterward, she had even sent people to investigate Henry’s situation more thoroughly. His fief was developing rapidly, and his army was renowned for its strength...

Although Henry’s fief, Westwood Laine, was far from Ratifa’s fief of Tiyaer, his fame had still spread to the Northern Lands, carried by minstrels and merchant caravans.

At the time, Ratifa had learned from various sources that Henry was not only valiant on the battlefield but also possessed unique insights and strategies for governing his fief.

His methods, from tax reduction to population growth, were incredibly advanced for the entire empire.

Moreover, the army of Westwood Laine was well-equipped and well-trained, which allowed them to reap greater rewards in battle.

Therefore, when Henry softly said her estimate was still too low, Ratifa was surprised, but not entirely caught off guard.

Just then, Claude and Henry’s other officials arrived at the caravan with the ledgers. Their arrival signaled the start of the joint valuation and assessment.

Although Henry had no intention of selling materiel like armaments and horses, he still wanted to have it all appraised to get a more direct understanding of his gains from this battle.

Claude opened the ledger. It was densely packed with records of the quantities and preliminary valuations of various spoils.

From armor and weapons to captives, every item was meticulously documented. Ratifa’s team also got busy, cross-referencing the ledger and carefully inspecting each piece of loot to ensure the accuracy of the valuation.

As the assessment progressed, the tension in Ratifa’s brow gradually eased.

As the pages of the ledger turned, the full extent of Henry’s share of the spoils became clear to Ratifa.

Armor, weapons, captives—the numbers for every category were higher than she had anticipated.

The total value was around five hundred and seventy thousand. The number made Ratifa nod in spite of herself, and she once again lifted her proud head.

For a bulk transaction of this magnitude, to be off by only seventy thousand Dinars without having seen the goods in person was completely within an acceptable margin of error.

This once again proved her business acumen. ’It’s a pity this isn’t a time of peace. Otherwise, I could just publicize this price estimation and land even more business orders!’

Ratifa offered Henry her congratulations, politely expressing her happiness and delight at the scale of his haul.

"Baron Henry, the quantity of your spoils is truly astonishing. That’s no easy feat on the battlefield."

Ratifa’s words betrayed her admiration for Henry.

In her twenty-some years, she had met countless people, so-called talents and "rising stars of the nobility," but not a single one could match Henry’s flair.

"Countess Ratifa, your estimate was very close. However, my soldiers’ performance on the battlefield did indeed exceed my expectations."

Ratifa nodded. She knew Henry’s army was formidable; his spoils were proof enough.

"Your army’s performance on the battlefield is truly impressive. A haul of this size is equivalent to the spoils of more than twenty noble Knights combined."

A look of pride inadvertently appeared on Henry’s face. "My soldiers are all rigorously trained. Naturally, their performance on the battlefield would not disappoint me."

After speaking, Henry suddenly reined in his expression. ’Am I getting carried away?’

’This isn’t normal!’

Henry looked at the noble, elegant, and beautiful Ratifa Villarreal before him, considering himself not one to be swayed by beauty.

’There can be only one explanation. The culprit is Slaanesh!’

Realizing his lapse in composure, Henry quickly adjusted his emotions, returning to his usual calm and steady demeanor.

"Countess Ratifa, the finer details of the transaction will be handled by Claude, my Minister of State Affairs, army Quartermaster, and logistics captain. I trust he will cooperate well with your team."

Claude stepped forward and nodded at Ratifa.

"Countess, let us begin. I look forward to a fair transaction between us."

Henry, uninterested in the trivial details to follow, turned and left.

Ratifa was disappointed to learn that Henry had no intention of selling the armaments, horses, and other materiel, but she didn’t press the matter.

Every lord had their own considerations, and these resources had their own purpose for Henry.

She respected Henry’s decision and prepared to focus on the spoils that were up for trade.